Abstract Well is an exemplary multi-functional word performing pragmatic and syntactic functions. That multi-functionality poses a potential problem: How do hearers in conversation determine which function is actualized and how do speakers project the function actualized? We address both questions examining factors hearers rely on to disambiguate well and the resources speakers deploy to designate well’s function. The study is based on 8-, 9-, and 10-word turns containing well extracted from the British National Corpus for which audio files from the Audio BNC are available. We include duration, measuring well’s durations in Praat. The workflow comprised both qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitatively, all turns were manually inspected and the functions and subfunctions of well were identified. Due to data paucity the quantitative analysis was based only on a broad distinction between syntactic and pragmatic functions. The analysis involved two logistic regression model selection processes, one adopting a hearer, one a speaker perspective. Based on the factors position in the turn, duration and lexical context, our final models indicate that hearers disambiguate the two main functions of well drawing on lexical context and position in the turn while speakers project well’s functions by modulating duration. We propose that Hoey’s (2005) 6th priming hypothesis, concerned with polysemy, can be extended to also include polyfunctionality. Position also suggests a reading in terms of Hoey’s ‘textual colligation’ hypothesis related to a word’s position: particularly in its incarnation as a marker of dispreferreds, pragmatic well is heavily primed to occur turn-initially.

中文翻译：

---

说话者和听者如何消除多功能词的歧义？

Abstract Well 是一个示例性的多功能词，具有语用和句法功能。这种多功能性带来了一个潜在的问题：谈话中的听者如何确定实现了哪个功能，以及说话者如何投射实现的功能？我们解决了两个问题，即检查听者所依赖的因素来消除歧义，以及说话者部署的资源来指定井的功能。该研究基于包含从英国国家语料库中提取的 8 字、9 字和 10 字的回合，其中音频 BNC 的音频文件可用。我们包括持续时间，在 Praat 中测量井的持续时间。工作流程包括定性和定量方法。定性地，所有转弯都经过人工检查，并确定了井的功能和子功能。由于数据缺乏，定量分析仅基于句法和语用功能之间的广泛区别。分析涉及两个逻辑回归模型选择过程，一个采用听者的角度，一个采用说话者的角度。基于轮中位置、时长和词汇语境等因素，我们的最终模型表明，听者消除了充分利用词汇语境和轮中位置这两个主要功能的歧义，而说话者通过调节时长来很好地投射功能。我们建议 Hoey (2005) 与多义性有关的第 6 启动假设可以扩展到也包括多功能性。位置还建议根据 Hoey 与单词位置相关的“文本拼贴”假设进行阅读：特别是在它作为不受欢迎的标记的化身中，